Expert Roundtable:

Afghanistan: Pathways to Peace and Justice?

Event Description

PILPG hosted an expert roundtable on the situation in Afghanistan on October 1 from 12 pm to 1 pm EDT.

In August, the Taliban forces took over the control of Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. On August 30, the last American forces left Afghanistan. In the weeks following these events, the world witnessed thousands of people trying to flee Afghanistan and various countries organizing evacuations. Since then, many have been expressing concerns about the possibility of the Taliban reversing all the progress with peace processes, democracy, and women’s rights achieved over the last 20 years.

During this roundtable, PILPG convened experts with experience working on similar conflict regions to share lessons learned, outline similarities, and discuss efforts with conflict resolution and peace processes. We also heard about the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and the diplomatic efforts of the previous administration of Afghanistan from Afghanistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, Mohammad Qurban Haqjo.

This event is part of the PILPG Thought Leadership Initiative. The Initiative focuses on prominent international law and international affairs topics and organizes monthly expert roundtables to share expertise and reflections from our work on peace negotiations, post-conflict constitution drafting, and war crimes prosecution.

Event Recording

SpeakerS

Ambasssador Mohammad Qurban HaqjoMohammad Qurban Haqjo was appointed as the first Afghanistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization in April 2017 after Afghanistan became member of the organization on July 29th 2016. In his capacity as Chairman of the g7+ WTO Accessions Group, cofunded by the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ambassador Haqjo, in collaboration with the WTO Accessions Division, is actively promoting the topic of trade for peace within WTO. Mr. Haqjo was Deputy Minister of Commerce in 2016 and 2017. Prior to his position as Deputy Minister, Mr. Haqjo was the President and CEO of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) where he undertook a number of reform initiatives and led the agency to become the best investment promotion agency in Central Asia and Caucasus region. In addition, he worked for almost 7 years as the President and CEO of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Mr. Haqjo has also been a member of the High Economic Council and the Economic Committee of the Cabinet, the board of Directors of the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society and the Micro Finance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA). Mr. Haqjo also participated in a number of international trainings on economic development and has around 20 years of professional experience in the public and private sectors. Mr. Haqjo holds a Master in International Relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy, a MBA from the University of Northwest and a BA in Law and Political Sciences from Balkh University. — **Ambasssador Mohammad Qurban Haqjo**
Mohammad Qurban Haqjo was appointed as the first Afghanistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization in April 2017 after Afghanistan became member of the organization on July 29th 2016. In his capacity as Chairman of the g7+ WTO Accessions Group, cofunded by the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ambassador Haqjo, in collaboration with the WTO Accessions Division, is actively promoting the topic of trade for peace within WTO. Mr. Haqjo was Deputy Minister of Commerce in 2016 and 2017. Prior to his position as Deputy Minister, Mr. Haqjo was the President and CEO of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) where he undertook a number of reform initiatives and led the agency to become the best investment promotion agency in Central Asia and Caucasus region. In addition, he worked for almost 7 years as the President and CEO of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Mr. Haqjo has also been a member of the High Economic Council and the Economic Committee of the Cabinet, the board of Directors of the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society and the Micro Finance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA). Mr. Haqjo also participated in a number of international trainings on economic development and has around 20 years of professional experience in the public and private sectors. Mr. Haqjo holds a Master in International Relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy, a MBA from the University of Northwest and a BA in Law and Political Sciences from Balkh University.

Andrew C. Mann Andrew C. Mann is a Strategic Advisor at PILPG. Mann orchestrated PILPG’s Documenting Atrocity Crimes Committed Against the Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine State project. Mann is a retired U.S. Senior Foreign Service Officer who was the Special Assistant to Supervisor for Brčko District Ambassador Henry L. Clarke. Mann served as chargé d’affaires in Sri Lanka. He also served in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as on temporary assignment in Darfur, Sudan. From 1994 to 1996, he was an Expert-on-Mission to the Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Mann taught human rights at the University of Washington, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies as a State Department Pearson Fellow and served as Chair for Diplomatic Studies at the U.S. Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth. — **Andrew C. Mann**

Andrew C. Mann is a Strategic Advisor at PILPG. Mann orchestrated PILPG’s Documenting Atrocity Crimes Committed Against the Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine State project. Mann is a retired U.S. Senior Foreign Service Officer who was the Special Assistant to Supervisor for Brčko District Ambassador Henry L. Clarke. Mann served as chargé d’affaires in Sri Lanka. He also served in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as on temporary assignment in Darfur, Sudan. From 1994 to 1996, he was an Expert-on-Mission to the Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Mann taught human rights at the University of Washington, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies as a State Department Pearson Fellow and served as Chair for Diplomatic Studies at the U.S. Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth.

Dr. Julie FraserJulie Fraser is Assistant Professor with the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) and the Montaigne Centre at Utrecht University. She has published, taught, and presented at conferences worldwide on a variety of topics relating to international human rights law and transitional justice. Her most recent publication is an edited volume with Dr Brianne McGonigle Leyh entitled Intersections of Law and Culture at the International Criminal Court (Edward Elgar 2020). This work takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of international law in practice, and builds upon her PhD research. Julie defended her PhD in 2018, which was awarded the Max van der Stoel Prize in Human Rights and was published as a monograph entitled Social Institutions and International Human Rights Law Implementation: Every Organ of Society (Cambridge University Press 2020). As part of her doctoral research, Julie assisted the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women with their 65th session in Geneva in 2016, and undertook field research in Java, Indonesia in 2017.Prior to academia, Julie practiced law as a qualified solicitor, including working with the International Criminal Court and as a lawyer with the Australian Government Solicitor. Julie has been affiliated with PILPG since 2012 and presently is a Senior Peace Fellow. — **Dr. Julie Fraser**
Julie Fraser is Assistant Professor with the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) and the Montaigne Centre at Utrecht University. She has published, taught, and presented at conferences worldwide on a variety of topics relating to international human rights law and transitional justice. Her most recent publication is an edited volume with Dr Brianne McGonigle Leyh entitled Intersections of Law and Culture at the International Criminal Court (Edward Elgar 2020). This work takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of international law in practice, and builds upon her PhD research.
Julie defended her PhD in 2018, which was awarded the Max van der Stoel Prize in Human Rights and was published as a monograph entitled Social Institutions and International Human Rights Law Implementation: Every Organ of Society (Cambridge University Press 2020). As part of her doctoral research, Julie assisted the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women with their 65th session in Geneva in 2016, and undertook field research in Java, Indonesia in 2017.
Prior to academia, Julie practiced law as a qualified solicitor, including working with the International Criminal Court and as a lawyer with the Australian Government Solicitor.
Julie has been affiliated with PILPG since 2012 and presently is a Senior Peace Fellow.

Professor Darin JohnsonDarin Johnson is a Senior Legal Advisor at PILPG and a Professor of Law at Howard  University in Washington, D.C. Over the past decade, Professor Johnson has conducted numerous capacity building trainings for PILPG clients around the world on topics of accountability and transitional justice. Professor Johnson served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the  Special Coordinator for Middle East Transitions when it was newly formed, which was tasked  with coordinating U.S. assistance to politically transitioning countries in the Middle East and North Africa following the Arab Spring uprisings. Prior, he served as the Legal Adviser to the  U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. He received several Departmental honors for his  work. Professor Johnson is an expert in public international law and transitional justice. He  teaches courses in international criminal law and transitional justice and has published scholarly articles on international criminal accountability in Iraq, Syria, the Middle East, North Africa and  sub Saharan Africa. He has trained PILPG program participants from Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, South Africa, The Gambia, Mali, Guinea, Rwanda and the Ivory Coast on  international criminal accountability for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Professor Johnson received his B.A. from Yale College and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.  Professor Johnson traveled frequently to South Sudan to assist with the Juba peace negotiations. — **Professor Darin Johnson**
Darin Johnson is a Senior Legal Advisor at PILPG and a Professor of Law at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Over the past decade, Professor Johnson has conducted numerous capacity building trainings for PILPG clients around the world on topics of accountability and transitional justice. Professor Johnson served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Special Coordinator for Middle East Transitions when it was newly formed, which was tasked with coordinating U.S. assistance to politically transitioning countries in the Middle East and North Africa following the Arab Spring uprisings. Prior, he served as the Legal Adviser to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. He received several Departmental honors for his work. Professor Johnson is an expert in public international law and transitional justice. He teaches courses in international criminal law and transitional justice and has published scholarly articles on international criminal accountability in Iraq, Syria, the Middle East, North Africa and sub Saharan Africa. He has trained PILPG program participants from Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, South Africa, The Gambia, Mali, Guinea, Rwanda and the Ivory Coast on international criminal accountability for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Professor Johnson received his B.A. from Yale College and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. Professor Johnson traveled frequently to South Sudan to assist with the Juba peace negotiations.

MODERATOR

Milena Sterio, the Charles R. Emrick Jr. - Calfee Halter & Griswold Professor of Law at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Managing Director at PILPG is a leading expert on international law, international criminal law and human rights. Sterio is one of six permanent editors of the prestigious IntLawGrrls blog, and a frequent contributor to the blog focused on international law, policy and practice. In the spring of 2013, Sterio was selected as a Fulbright Scholar, spending the semester in Baku, Azerbaijan, at Baku State University. While in Baku, she had the opportunity to teach and conduct research on secession issues under international law related to the province of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh. Serving as a maritime piracy law expert, she has participated in meetings of the United Nations Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia as well as in the work of the United Nations Global Counterterrorism Forum. Sterio has also assisted piracy prosecutions in Mauritius, Kenya and the Seychelles Islands. Sterio is a graduate of Cornell Law School and the University of Paris I, and was an associate in the New York City firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton before joining the ranks of academia full time. She has published seven books and numerous law review articles. Her latest book, “The Syrian Conflict’s Impact on International Law,” (co-authored with Paul Williams and Michael Scharf) was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020.